Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Moderna to build mRNA vaccine facility in Britain

US biotech firm Moderna will build a new research and manufacturing centre in Britain to develop vaccines against new Covid-19 variants, other respiratory illnesses and help improve readiness for any future pandemics.

The facility is expected to start producing shots in 2025 and Britain has made a commitment to buy Moderna's vaccines for the next decade under the agreement.


Moderna's Covid-19 vaccines, which use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, were among those deployed in Britain to tackle the crisis and enable prime minister Boris Johnson to reopen the economy from stringent lockdowns.

Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel said the priority was to develop a shot combining refreshed boosters against Covid, flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

"By building a plant in the UK, we are also providing the UK Government - which has a long term partnership with us, with this agreement - with the ability to be pandemic ready," Bancel said on Wednesday.

"That capacity that we're building in the UK, that they are committed to buying the product for the next ten years, this can be reallocated very quickly to anything they want."

Further details, such as the location of the final plant in Britain, were being finalised, and financial terms were not disclosed.

"We have a shortlist of a couple of sites," Bancel said, adding that he hoped construction would start this year.

"We should be shortly able to announce the location."

More For You

Pharmacist Support calls for birthday donations to meet rising demand for mental health services

More and more pharmacy professionals are reaching out for help, said Danielle Hunt.

Pharmacist Support's birthday appeal: Donate to address growing mental health demand

Pharmacist Support – the independent charity dedicated to the pharmacy profession – is celebrating 184 years of service with the launch of a special birthday donations appeal.

On 15 April, the charity is urging individuals and organisations across the sector to support its campaign to raise vital funds to meet the increasing demand for its mental health and wellbeing services.

Keep ReadingShow less
Prostate cancer: At-home saliva test could save NHS £500 million annually

PRS saliva test can identify prostate cancer that was missed by an MRI scan

Photo credit: gettyimages

Prostate cancer: Spit test better than blood test in spotting men at highest risk

A simple at-home spit test could help detect prostate cancer earlier, saving the NHS around £500 million a year, according to new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the study found that the DNA-based saliva test was more accurate than the current prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test in identifying men at risk of developing prostate cancer.

Keep ReadingShow less
RPS launches innovative new learning resources for members

With RPS Learn, pharmacists can develop a new skill or improve their understanding of practice or a clinical topic.

Gettyimages

RPS launches new learning resources to boost career development for members

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a new online learning platform designed to support the practice, development and career advancement of its members.

The new platform, called RPS Learn, offers a diverse range of bite-size learning content, available on-demand, catering to all levels — from introductory to advanced and specialist —combining new content with RPS's renowned expertise in education and training to achieve excellence for learners.

Keep ReadingShow less
NICE approves AstraZeneca’s twice-a-day tablet ‘capivasertib’ for advanced breast cancer

HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer is currently incurable, and treatment aims to slow progression and prolong life

Gettyimages

NICE approves twice-a-day tablet for advanced breast cancer

Every year, thousands of people with hormone receptor (HR)-positive HER2-negative breast cancer could benefit from a new twice-a-day tablet, now set to be funded immediately through the Cancer Drugs Fund.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved the use of capivasertib (also known as Truqap), in combination with fulvestrant, as an option for around 1,100 adults with HR-positive HER2-negative breast cancer that has certain genetic mutations and has spread.

Keep ReadingShow less
ABPI and government fast-track VPAG scheme review to address high medicine payment rates

The 2025 VPAG payment rate for newer medicines has been set at 22.9 per cent.

Photo credit: gettyimages

Review of 2024 VPAG scheme to be completed by June

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the government have agreed to bring forward a planned review of the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access, and Growth (VPAG), originally scheduled for autumn 2025.

The review is expected to be completed in June 2025, aligning with the anticipated release of the government’s 10-year NHS Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan as part of the broader industry strategy this summer.

Keep ReadingShow less